Salt and fresh water aquariums are very popular and provide enjoyment for many people. However, maintenance of the necessary water quality in aquariums is a major challenge for aquarium owners. Protein skimmers are known and have proven to be somewhat effective in managing the water quality of aquariums. A protein skimmer is used to accomplish two key tasks when used in a marine water management system. A properly functioning protein skimmer effectively oxygenates water that passes through the body of the skimmer by introducing a large number of small air bubbles into the water. A protein skimmer also serves as a method for water purification by allowing the introduced air bubbles to react with the surrounding water molecules for a period of time, which enables pollutants to gather on the surfaces of the bubbles and become chemically attached. The bubble-water mixture is then separated, and the bubbles are directed out of the body of the skimmer and collected, with adhering pollutants, in a collection cup. This allows pollutants to be permanently removed from the water system.
There are several aspects that make some protein skimmers more effective than others. Overall water flow rate through the protein skimmer is important because the more water that is processed per unit time usually means that more pollutants are removed and more gas exchange occurs. The amount of contact time between air bubbles and water, and the quality of this contact time is important as well. If the bubbles are immediately withdrawn from the skimmer as soon as they are introduced, they may not be fully saturated with pollutants. Also, if the air bubbles react with the water in a laminar, non-turbulent fashion, contact between bubbles and pollutants is reduced. Therefore, there is a chance that the bubble may not become fully saturated with pollutants. In either case, maximum efficiency is compromised.
The number of air bubbles as well as their size, is also important. Having a larger number of bubbles increases the amount of pollutants that can be skimmed out through this Pir-water interaction. Numerous, small-sized bubbles afford greater surface area for this interaction than the same volume of larger-sized bubbles.
These are the most important, but not the only aspects of protein skimming which contribute to a given skimmer's efficiency and success. In general, the goal is to maximize the number and to minimize the size of the bubbles and to maximize the time the bubbles are in contact with the water.